DRDO Netra Mk2


The DRDO Netra Mk II is an upcoming Indian airborne early warning and control system being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation for the Indian Air Force. It follows the Netra Mk 1 and Netra Mk 1A variants, and will be mounted on second-hand Airbus A321 aircraft that have been acquired from Air India.

Development

The Defence Acquisition Council in September 2021 cleared the acceptance of necessity for the AEW&CS project for six aircraft. The platform would be Airbus A321 purchased from Air India. The platforms would be sent to France, modified to military standards, and then will be returned to DRDO where radars and surveillance suites would be fitted. The contract negotiations for the modifications of the aircraft was on the way as of October 2024.
The developmental work on the six Mark-2 aircraft, with bigger and more capable versions of the AEW&C radars and sensors to be mounted on second-hand Airbus A321 planes bought from Air India, was already at an advanced stage, as of February 2024, at a cost of. Delivery of the first such AEW&C Mark-2 aircraft, which will also have an antenna in the nose in addition to the main dorsal antenna to give 300-degree radar coverage, should take place in 2026–27. Adani Defence & Aerospace has been designated as the L1 entity for this project.
The six A321 aircraft, as of March 2025, were being operated by the Air HQ Communication Squadron, Indian Air Force.
The Cabinet Committee on Security approved the project, worth, on 17 July 2025. It is anticipated that the project will be completed in three years starting in 2025. For the refit, DRDO will collaborate with Airbus Defence and Space in Spain, to modify and upgrade the jet platforms as per military standards, along with several Indian firms to equip the Netra Mk 2 with a mission control system and an indigenous AESA radar atop a dorsal fin-mounted antenna which will reportedly provide 300–360° coverage. The project has been officially designated AWACS. All the six aircraft are expected to be delivered by 2033–34. The cost of the project inflated by after additional modifications to the aircraft was identified.
The aircraft upgradation project in France was cleared by the DAC on 29 December 2025.

Design and Features

The Netra Mk2 will feature a dorsal fin-mounted active electronically scanned array radar, providing 300° radar coverage. In addition, a secondary antenna will be installed in the nose of the aircraft to enhance forward coverage.
Other planned features include:

Operators